This Isn't ScoobyDoo
by KateEals
Summary: The day after Priority of Life, Greg struggles with his choice to either leave the team or not.  What happened to Jules and their overall relationship weigh heavily on his mind as he visits Jules in the hospital.  Sam makes an appearance.  One-shot


**Author's Note**: Hey everyone! I'm back way before I anticipated with another one-shot. But first, I'd like to thank everyone who read and or reviewed my first piece "Pink no More." You're all awesome!

So this current selection takes place the day after the events of "Priority of Life." I really love the special relationship that Greg and Jules have, which was beautifully expressed by their interactions with and words to each other on both that episode and "Slow Burn." I got the impression from PoL that the one thing that would have put Greg over the edge and made him resign was if Jules had died. He wouldn't have been able to live without his "heart." So, this is an angst-y piece about his abnormal mind-set after the events of that day and his and Jules' overall relationship. It's told from Greg's POV.

**Spoilers**: Priority of Life, (Possibly) Day Game, Shockwave, Blue on Blue.

_Italics are thinking_

**Affect** is a psychological term for expressed feelings and **self-monitoring** is the act of reading and reacting (both verbally and non-verbally) to social cues so as to appear as the perfect person to any given social situation; some people are higher in this than others.

I don't own Flashpoint or Scooby-Doo, although my Bro and I tried to convince our parents to name our first dog Scrappy. . .

This Isn't Scooby-Doo

He'd been putting this off long enough. This was a visit, no matter how grateful he was of how events eventually transpired, that he just didn't want to make. He simply did not think he could face her.

Her.

Her, as in the person who believed (and in all reality, was) she was on her deathbed, who made her last dying confession to him, like he was a Priest administering Last Rites, that she had failed HIM, that she needed HIS absolution.

In truth, in his mind, HE had been the one to fail HER.

He had failed her as a leader, just as he had failed the rest of his team. But, somehow, failing her in particular was worse than betraying any other member under his command.

He knew of Sam and Jules' relationship and could imagine just how much Sam's heart was breaking throughout the entire deadly ordeal. To stand behind both a tangible glass and idealized ethical regulatory walls and watch the love of his life slowly bleed to death, even before a sightless toxin could lead to her demise, must have been torment. However, somehow Greg doubted that that torment reached his own in intensity. After all, Sam's lack of leadership didn't culminate in this event, and Sam didn't have to try to hide his tears while a prying Toth looked on. Sam didn't have to listen to apologies from his mentee, his daughter, his heart and right hand, when Greg should have been the one apologizing to her.

If she had died on that call, the question before him would have been simple; he would be gone. Team One would be better-off without him.

And this was another reason to dread this trip to see her. He didn't want to admit, to look into her perceptive eyes and confess, that he was considering resigning. He probably wouldn't even have to say anything explicit for her to know his considerations; for a person who hates psychologists, she was the best people reader and psychological profiler he had ever met. The student was on the verge of surpassing the mentor, yet another reason why he should leave the unit. Team One would be lucky to have such a gifted profiler as the lead negotiator.

As he rounded the corner from the elevator to the hallway leading to her room, he looked-up to see Sam with the shadow of a smile on his face. It was good to see that the relatively young man had such optimism after such a near tragedy and with his future hanging in the balance.

"Hey Sarge," Sam said, his smile becoming active. "Going to see Jules?"

Greg hesitated in his answer. "Yeah. Guess it's a little over-due," he replied trying to fake a smile.

"Good. She's actually been wondering where you were. Plus, she's itching to get out of here. Maybe you can order her to stay-put or something," Sam said with a smile as he gave Greg a small pat on the arm comradely. "I'm just head'n to get her a Timmy's, but I don't think that small bribe is gonna get me very far. But, she'll listen to you," he smiled and walked towards the stairway entrance.

_Yeah, she will listen to me._ Greg thought. _That's the problem. She probably shouldn't. None of them should._

With a deep breath, Greg opened the door to Jules' hospital room and took a step inside to see his officer for the first time in person since before his world started tumbling down at a rapid pace.

_Hmmphh, _Greg thought with his first glance at the tiny brunette. _The kid doesn't look too bad for almost dying on us 12 hours ago._

Jules perked-up from a near slumber at the sound of the door opening. At the site of Greg, a genuine smile lit her face.

"Hey Sarge," Jules enthused, "been wonder'n where you've been. Ed was actually gonna send out Raf and Spike as a search party if you didn't show-up her soon."

Greg's thoughts immediately turned at her words. If Ed was already here, Jules probably already knew about his consternation and considerations in resigning. He also knew that she would be too savvy to lead on directly about her knowledge.

"Oh, Ed's been here?" Greg asked with an attempted outward expression of casualness. He walked over to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Briefly. Soph was pretty adamant about him spending some quality time with the fam after such a scary situation," Jules answered, not letting on to any knowledge of Greg's mindset, just as he predicted.

"Always you, eh Jules?" Greg attempted to joke.

"Hey, Sam, Raf, and Spike almost blew-up a few months ago, not to mention certain team members' abductions recently," Jules joked back referring to three separate recent insisdents where teammates, Greg included, had been in harm's way.

"Yeah," Greg said, his mood shifting.

Jules waited for whatever revelations would expose his change in apparent affect.

"How are you really Jules?" Greg asked. But seeing her typical reply rising to her lips, he continued before she could reply, "And don't tell me you're 'okay.' If I was a better leader, you probably wouldn't be in here right now."

Jules' temper flared slightly at his words. "Ya know, I'm gett'n pretty tired of you 'manly men' paternalistically apologizing to me for not being able to save me from the inevitable risks of the job. Just say'n, this isn't _Scooby-Doo_. I'm not your damsel in distress."

Jules was an always blunt low self-monitor, even with him. That was one of the reasons he respected her so much.

"I know you're extremely capable Jules, even capable enough to lead as head negotiator," Greg responded to her with a sad smile on his face.

Jules was obviously onto him and would not be baited. A half smile lit her face. "I'm flattered, really I am. And someday I will be lead negotiator. But not at this particular time with this particular team. No one can do what you do. No one can lead this team like you do. You have got to see that Sarge."

Ed had definitely told her about the resignation papers. He decided to leave that discussion for now and turn things to a joke. "Maybe. But, I got to tell you Jules, you're getting pretty good pretty fast," he said with his first actual smile of the day. "Pretty soon you're gonna be teaching me!" His pride-full smile turned a little sad from the thought of the progression of time in their relationship.

"I am so proud of you Jules," Greg stated looking her straight on.

Slightly embarrassed by his expression of emotion, Jules could only return his stare with a smile and nod before she started to blush and turned her head to escape his gaze.

"Alright Constable Callaghan, I better get going. Sam's going to be back soon and I'm sure he wants to monopolize your time," Greg said patting her good arm gently while he stood-up.

Jules did not reply, because his statement had been so true. She just smiled and returned his arm-pat with her previously shrapnel sliced bad arm to emphasize her already regained strength for his benefit.

"Oh," Greg remembered before reaching the door. "Sam asked me to order you to stay put and not try to scheme your way out of here until the doctors say you can leave." _Mine-as-well order her while I still __can__ order at least, _Greg thought.

Irritation at Sam's request immediately shown upon her face.

"And don't give the guy too much trouble for asking for my help. He just cares about you," Greg paused, "as do I. Listen to your doctors." This was the closest Greg was going to come to revealing what Jules really meant to him. He couldn't afford to let his true emotions show. He might have been able to stop tears from the sight of Toth, but he was powerless to her big brown eyes.

"Yes sir, Boss. But I don't plan on being here too long," Jules replied with her signature confidence. Nothing could keep that woman down long.

"Don't I know it," said Greg walking out the door with another genuine, pride-full smile. But as he walked down the corridor towards the elevator, his expression turned solemn once more.

She believes in him, as does the rest of the team, but that confidence could only end-up getting them all killed.

**Additional Author's Note**: If you have gotten this far, thanks for reading this thing-y champ! Please leave a review if you can. I'd love to know what you think. : )

Peace, Eals


End file.
